Out Of Context
by NukeEquestria
Summary: In all the explored galaxy, Humanity has only found evidence of extinct life. At the edge of known space, a planet is found to have intelligent life. Elsewhere Luna receives a dire warning about an anti-magic plague spreading towards Equestria.


First Contact

High above the city of Canterlot, on a balcony of the royal palace, sat a lone figure. She was so still, she could have been mistaken for a statue. The cold autumn air her only company.

She sat on her haunches, lost in thought. Thoughts of friends long dead and opportunities lost mixed in with ones of new discoveries and happier times.

Her solitude was short lived. The air seemed to chill further as a malevolent presence descended on Luna. A more average creature would not have noticed it, but to the alicorn's heightened senses an oppressive aura of hate filled the area. The shadows lengthened, as if they could grab Luna and hold her.

"You must desire a shorter life, if you are willing to reveal thyself to me," a serene Luna spoke, unmoving. "Your kind hast not troubled us for many generations, since last I fought you. If thou hast reason to be here, thou should make haste."

"Stay your wrath Void's Bane. I am a humble messenger bearing a grave warning," said the shadows.

Disgust was evident in her voice. "Thine kindred feed on misery and suffering, what warning would you offer that would be of help to me?" she asked with a sneer.

"We warn you out of self interest; the trouble that is coming, we cannot partake in. Something is moving through the Void, changing it. Vast swaths of it are impassable to any void-traveling beings." If the thing had had a solid shape, it would have been trembling in fear. "Worlds that were in its path are quiet. The cries of pain that sustain us were silenced. It is coming towards your world as we speak."

She looked away, turning her head up to her moon. Here was a creature she thought incapable of fear, reeking of it. Even when she unmade scores of them, she never sensed fear. _This could be a trick._ she thought to herself. _This could be a ploy to enhance whatever kind of trouble is coming. _

"Thou reek of fear." Her eyes narrowed as she asked "Thou never showed fear the numerous times I've killed you."

If it could have laughed, it would have. Even so it somehow conveyed its amusement. "Void's Bane, you are a mighty foe, but we have no reason to fear you. We are separate, but also One. You say you've killed us, instead you've returned us to the One. This stillness, on the other hand, could mean our end. Not just our end, but the end of Will."

"The end of Will? Thou art mad, or this is a jest. If so, you are madder still."

"No jest. We first encountered the stillness after being drawn to a great pain. A whole world was dying. The planet was full of creatures of Will and flesh. They cried out in agony as their Will was slowly crushed. We feasted for many generations, gorging ourselves on the voices of the dying. So strong was our frenzy, we failed to notice our weaker siblings simply fading away. Before we could rise out of our stupor, half our number was simply gone! They never returned to the One. They were simply no more."

Luna gave a sharp snort.

"**Enjoy our folly Void's Bane! Just know that yours is greater!"** it seemed to shout. "The planet we fed on," it began with a malicious glee, "it had a guardian. As we fled the stillness, we could hear the guardian's pain echo out deep into the Void. Had we not been fleeing in terror, it would have been a greater feast that what we just had."

Its message delivered, the shadows radiated an air of smugness. The message that was hard to swallow. She still did not believe it, its claims were too outrageous. End Will; it couldn't be done! Will was a part of the fabric of existence. With it, one could flex reality to suit one's whims. Even creatures with no control of Will need it to live. This had to be a trick. "You seek to deceive me. You make ridiculous claims, and expect me to believe them without **proof! On thine **_**honorable**_** word alone?** **What kind of fool do thou take me for?" **She was crackling with energy now. Her eyes glowed white, while her mane and tail billowed furiously. The creature pompous attitude began to deflate.

** "Take this message, oh **_**humblest**_** of messengers, to thy kin. 'The troubles I visited upon thee will return tenfold should another of thou step hoof onto MY world!'" **Her words echoed around her. The surrounding aura fluctuated between loathing and pain. The presences faded as it retreated into depths that spawned it.

Luna's power fled her. She slumped down to the ground, letting the cool granite beneath soothe her body. Lying on her side, her head against the floor towards the balcony's railing, she could hear the galloping of her guard. Four grey earth pony stallions in the dark blue and silver of her livery came bursting through the door of her room. They fanned out immediately, weary of danger, eyes seeking their liege. The motion of her head rising caught their attention. She put on a reassuring smile as they trotted over to her.

"Princess, are you alright?" asked the closest guard. "We heard you shouting."

From the guard farthest back Luna heard muttered "The whole city heard you shouting." This earned him a glare from one of his fellow guards.

Her smile brightened at this exchange. "I am well, good sirs. I simply had a desire to shout and for a moment I forgot I was not on the moon." She let out an embarrassed chuckle. Slowly she got to her feet.

"I would like commend you on your prompt response Mr..." With them all gathered in front of her, the one farthest on the right spoke up, puffing his chest out. "I am Corporal Sure Mountain and these are Privates Oatmeal Stout, Gravy Train, and Coco Espresso Your Highness." Pointing to each of them with his hoof, starting from his right.

"Ponies call me 'Two Shots' Your Highness." Private Espresso offered, earning another glare from the Corporal.

She semi-successfully stifled a small chuckle with a hoof as the Private wilted under the Corporal's gaze. "Thou hast executed your duties superbly gentlecolts, I shall inform your commander of your service."

For a moment the guards stood stunned. They hadn't expected to receive a commendation while on watch, much less from the Princess herself. Recovering first, the Corporal thanked the Princess and quickly ushered his men out of her room.

Luna stood alone on the balcony, watching as the doors to her room slowly closed. She let out the breath she'd been holding. The guards would be too distracted by her praise to pay attention to that terrible lie. She didn't want rumors of nameless horrors to be floating around the palace.

The excitement in her mind wandered from tonight to past events. Briefly she relived the fight that ended in her banishment by her own sister. Giving her head a shake, she cleared her mind of those dark memories. Instead, she focused recent events.

What the messenger had to say was still unbelievable. It simply was not possible. No one can end Will. It's like ending motion, or time.

A world without Will was terrifying in it' absurdity. She could not believe it, did not want to believe it. Yet, she still remembered the messenger's terror when it spoke of the stillness, and of losing its kin.

The seed of doubt was planted in her mind. As she continued to mull over her memories, the seed grew. She had defended Equestria against many foes, but none could be as terrible as one who could make the Void impassable, or (if she could accept it) end Will.

* * *

Breakfast was a light affair of fruit, toast, and oatmeal. Princesses Celestia and Luna sat at either end of the table in their private dining hall. Quietly they ate, enjoying each other's company. Luna paused in the eating of her oatmeal. A smirk had been slowly grown on Celestia's face during the course of breakfast.

"What, Tia, is so amusing?" Celestia's smile grew wider. "I heard there was an incident last night. Something about you needing to yell?" Luna took a bite of oatmeal. Seconds ticked by as her teeth ground the oatmeal into mush. "I had a visitor."

If sunlight hadn't already been pouring in, the smile on Celestia's face would have lit the room. "Oh?" she asked coyly. Luna glowered at her sister. "Not _that_ kind of visitor. It was much less pleasant." She paused. Celestia looked at her expectantly. "A shapeless one came to me last night."

The light of Celestia's smile died. Leaning forward, she took stock of her sister. "I haven't seen one in centuries. What did you do to draw its attention?" For a brief moment, pain showed in her sister's eyes. She immediately regretted her choice of words, but the damage had been done. The amiable silence that had preceded was replaced with an awkward one.

Time stretched on. Dishes sat empty on the table, the servants opting not to collect them yet. Celestia opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it. She mentally kicked herself for her insensitivity. Even though it had been over a year since Luna's return from exile, the dark blue alicorn was still coming to terms with her actions and their consequences. Most of the hurt was gone, yet there were still a few raw areas.

After a moment, she tried again. "Luna, I'm sorry. That was harsher than I intended. I want you to know that I do trust you. Can you please forgive me?" she asked with a hopeful smile.

Her sister returned it, and gave a small nod. "I forgive thee, sister." Standing up from her cushion, Luna made her way towards the large wooden doors separating the dining hall from the rest of the palace. Turning to her sister she asks "Shall we go to thy study? I wish to fill you in on what transpired last night."

Celestia gave a nod of agreement. "Yes, I believe this justifies delaying my day for a little longer." Luna waited at the door for her. Together they walked at a sedate pace towards Celestia's study.

* * *

Her study was a large, tastefully decorated room. A big hearth dominated the right wall. Above it hung portraits of trusted friends, and paintings of treasured memories. Several cushions were arranged in a semicircle in front of it.

The left wall had little room for pictures since it was covered in books. Books on Equestrian (plus others') law and culture stretched from floor to celling.

This had surprised Luna upon her return. The Celestia of the past had cared little for books. She found the act of reading terribly boring, and engaged in it only when necessary. After Luna's banishment, the weight of rule increased and she found herself increasingly desperate for some solitude.

Attempting to escape court life, Celestia spent more and more time in her study, pouring over reports at first, and then the text referenced in those reports. Her reading interests expanded outwards and she found her act of desperation had turn in to one of enjoyment. She was now well versed in the literature of several species, as was evident by her private library.

Luna's most cherished memory since her return is the night, she discovered Celestia's love of reading, a couple of weeks later. That night they whiled away the hours, reading silently; each enjoying the other's company.

"Luna." Celestia had made her way to the desk that was front and center of the large window that itself took up most of the left rear wall, butting up against the bookcases. Seated on the large and rather comfortable cushion behind the desk, she waited expectantly for Luna to shake herself from her reverie.

Ending her staring contest with the books, an abashed Luna took the cushion directly in front of the desk. "Why are we here instead of by the hearth?" she asked.

"I want to take notes on what you have to say. This is a serious affair, and I would like to have a record of it." offered Celestia.

Satisfied by the remark, Luna dived into her account. Celestia made notes, asked questions, and sought clarification. Luna's handling of the guards especially impressed her. Luna's capabilities with ponies had grown rapidly since her return.

Once Celestia had wrung every detail out of Luna, she set down her quill. "That's quite a lot. Even if we could trust it, the shapeless ones' claims are simply outrageous. What kind of twisted joke are they trying to pull? You've always been more patient than me. I don't think I would have let it live to finish its story." She let out a frustrated snort. "Even though they are ridiculous, we cannot ignore its claims. The loss of magic would mean the end of not only our little ponies, but all life in Equestria."

Luna stared off into the distance. "Perhaps we should should prepare to discharge our Duty."

Celestia frowned. "I fear we should."

The words hung heavily in the air. The two simply stared at each other, the words hanging between them gathering weight. As the moments passed by, the gravity of the situation only increased. With a shadow of desperation Celestia spoke. "I'll ask the University's astronomy and magic departments to report anything unusual..." She turned to address Luna, "or would you like to do that?"

A small smile crept onto Luna's face. "Thank you, I would. I've been meaning to meet the astronomy head anyway. I will speak to her tonight. I need to-" Luna's yawn cut her off. "Excuse me. I need to go to sleep." Celestia nodded in understanding, and ushered her sister out of the room. "Sleep well. Oh, and Luna?" Luna looked over her shoulder as she halted her progress. "If you do need to do some 'shouting', I know of several private and _soundproof_ rooms." said Celestia with a mischievous grin. Luna quickly turned away from her sister and trotted out of the room, blushing furiously.

* * *

The University of Canterlot, considered the most prestigious university in all of Equestria, if not the world. Here the best and brightest worked tirelessly to unravel the mysteries of the universe, create breathtaking art, and pen words that stretched mental horizons.

In that tradition of excellence stood Halley Comet, PhD. The long time head of the Astronomy department, his passion for teaching had made him a favorite of the students, and his dedication to Astronomy help keep him the department head. At this moment the geriatric earth pony was dedicated to several photographic plates spread around on a table. He was in the room right off the observatory where developed plates could be viewed. A candle underneath the viewer back lit the negatives.

Right as something caught the pistachio colored pony's attention, there was a knock at the door. "Come in." he said, his breath turning to frost.

His ears twitched forward at the sound of the door opening, but the rest of him was focused on the plate in the viewer. A mare gave a soft cough. "Yes, yes. I'll be with you in a minute." he said in a huff.

"Dr. Comet." a stern voice replied.

"What!" He rapidly turned to face the nuisance behind him. His mouth dropped open, and he stammered out "Your Majesty." Forgetting protocol he continued to stammer. "What... What are you doing here? I could have met you in my office. Was my secretary notified of your arrival? Why are you out here?"

"Doctor, I enjoy the night sky as much as you do. When I learned you were out here, I felt this would be an appropriate place for our meeting. To thine other question, no your secretary was not informed. This meeting is confidential." That last part was true, but more importantly Luna wanted to avoid having to shake hooves with half of the University's faculty.

While the temperature had not changed, Halley zipped up his jacket anyway. "What does Your Majesty need from my department that would be confidential?"

"I need to ask a question." Dr. Comet cocked his head to the side. "Has anything strange been observed lately?" Luna asked.

Halley suddenly became very animated. "In fact, something has been. Come over to the viewer." He motioned the Princess to take his seat, while he fetched another cushion. Himself reseated, he pointed excitedly at something on the plate. It looked like somepony had taken a pencil and drawn a slightly curved line across the plate. "What am I looking at?"

"Here, Your Majesty." Halley quickly swapped out the current plate with one from the table. It had the same line as the last, except it was higher up on the plate. "We've been observing this phenomenon for the last week. Your sister's pupil wrote a letter asking us about it. Apparently she has been observing it for the last month and wondered if we knew anything about it."

"Do you know what it is?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Halley became even more excited. "No we don't! No one has ever seen anything like it! Letters have been sent out to neighboring observatories, and a number have written back with similar observations.

From what we can tell the object looks like a star, moves very rapidly, and most importantly, its orbit seems to change causing the object to pass over every point on the Earth. That's why the lines are at different positions on the plates. This one in the view was from the night before, and the last one was from today." He proceeded to rapidly show her the plates in order, and sure enough, the line went from the top of the plate to near the bottom.

"Thank you Dr. Comet. Thy effort will be rewarded. Please keep gathering information, but I ask that you not speak of my visit." Luna stood up and headed for the door. "One other thing Doctor, please have a report written for my sister and I as soon as you can."

With that final word, Luna made her way out of the observatory. Once outside, she unfolded her wings and leaped in to the air.

* * *

Canterlot shone like a jewel surrounded by a sea of ink. Its radiance drowning out all other sources. Lost in thought, the beauty flew under Luna's notice.

_How do lines on a photographic plate connect with the shapeless one's warning?_ Luna wondered. She had never seen anything like it, and she doubted that Tia had either. Many creatures lived in the Void, but none looked or acted like that.

If she had to guess, she would say it was acting like a miniature version of her moon; though that didn't make any sense. The Earth had had only one moon since its creation. Why would it pick up another one, and a tiny one at that. The most damning evidence against it being a moon in her mind was the lack of any connection she felt with it. If it was a new moon, surely she would have felt its presence as she felt her moon's now.

Still lost in thought, her body moved of its own accord. Lightly she touched down on the balcony of her room. The doors opened magically as she walked in and began readying herself to holding court. Once done, her legs led her to the throne room as her mind tried to tease out the answer to the mystery. While she held court, the riddle of the moon that wasn't a moon tugged at the back of her mind.


End file.
